Sewing machine



D, 17, 1935. A, s MITCHELL 2,024,802

sawme MACHINE Filed Aug. 10; 1931 s Shee ts-Sheet 1 J7z0e75%r.

f M l 4 1.7, 1935. A, s. M T HELL 2,024,302

SEWING MACHINE- I Filed Aug. 10, 1931 Sheets-Sheet 2 \Ezve7z%7 a azgaw y Jf-m Dec. .1 7,1935.

A. S. MITCHELL SEWING MACHINE Filed Aug. 10, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Dec.. :1 7, 1935. A. s. MITCHELL 2,024,802

SEWING MACHINE Filed Aug. 10, 1931 s Sheets-Sheet 4 Dec. 17, 1935. s. MITCHELL 2,024,802

- SEWING mourns Filed Au 10, 1951 s Shee ts-Sheet 5 it, 2 9425 27 9% h 29 6 j 29! I U s I .96 e f g I I 6056s & a r

4 w 1 5 25:: 0,5, ,Qj P01 Patented Dec. 17, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SEWING MACHINE Application August 10, 1931, Serial No. 556,270

3 Claims.

This invention relates particularly to sewing machines for sewing skips in the seams of manufactured pleated, stuffed upholstery.

The primary object is to provide a simple, ef-

5 fective machine for completing any defective seamsv in pleated upholstery, such as is used in automobile seat-cushions, back-cushions, etc.

More especially, the present invention is intended to provide a machine particularly suited 10 to sewing a ridge-seam or a portion of a defective ridge-seam between the pleats of a cushion which has been made on an upholstery machine having multiple sewing-heads and in which the sewing is imperfect due to breakage of a thread, or

15 the like.

In a preferred embodiment, the cushion to be mended rests on a table having a ridge-like apex, and a movable ridge-bar is used to hold the seam in sewing position. The ridge-bar may be low- 20 ered to permit the work to be positioned, and may then be raised to bring the seam-ridge of the upholstery to sewing position.

The invention is illustrated in a preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawings, in

25 which:

7 Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a machine embodying the invention, and shows brokenly a cushion resting on the sewing-table; Fig. 2, a side elevational view of the machine; Fig. 3, a broken J end elevational view showing the ridge-bar, taken as indicated at line 3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a front elevation of the shuttle-housing and seam-engaging shoe, taken as indicated at line 4 of Fig. 10; Fig. 5, a broken side elevational view showing the sewing mechanism; Fig. 6, a plan view of the sewing mechanism; Fig. 7, a broken side vertical sectional view of the clutch mechanism; Fig. 8, a broken rear elevational view of the machine, showing the belting arrangement and bob- 40 bin winder; Fig. 9, fragmentary view, similar to Fig. 8 but showing the bobbin winder in operating position; Fig. 10, a broken vertical sectional view showing the seam-engaging shoe and a pleated cushion in sewing position; Fig. 11, a

45 broken detail view showing the sewing needle and walker-foot; Fig. 12, a plan sectional view of the mechanism for operating the needle-bar and walker-foot; and Fig. 13, a broken sectional view, taken as indicated at line l3-l3 of Fig. 12.

50 In the embodiment illustrated, A designates a main frame comprising standards A, a bed A a machine supporting member A which is rigidly connected to a cross-bar A and a work-supporting centrally ridged table A B, a ridge-bar,

55 mounted at the apex of the table A C, a sewing machine having its needle disposed horizontally; D, a bobbin-threading device; E, a friction clutch; F, a motor for driving the sewing machine; and G, a thread-supporting device.

The main frame of the machine may be of any 5 suitable construction, but a supporting member A and cross-bar A are formed, preferably, of channel iron to provide a strong and rigid support for the sewing mechanism. The table A is shown having an inverted V-shape which has been found very advantageous, although other shapes may be used if desired. The table is provided with a sheet metal covering 10, to permit the work to be slid over the table easily, and the back portion of the metal covering is turned up wardly to form a guard for the mechanism in rear of the table.

A standard l l at one end of the table supports a pivot l2 for one end of the ridge-bar B, and another standard l3 at the other end of the table is slotted to form a guide for the bar and is pro. vided with a recess l4 adapted to receive a compression spring l5 which urges the bar into its uppermost position by a saddle-like member IS. The upper portion ll of the bar B is narrowed so as to form a narrow ridge, and the bar has a notched portion E8, to avoid the sewing needle and walking foot, as shown in Fig. 4. A wire 20 serves to connect the bar B with a treadle 20 which permits the bar to be depressed at will. 0

A sewing machine C is rigidly bolted to the supporting member A The machine is of standard construction except that it is mounted to sew horizontally instead of vertically and is equipped with a special seam-engaging shoe. The usual shuttle, bobbin 2i, and driving mechanism are provided within a housing 22. A seam-engaging shoe 23 is mounted on the housing and has a pair of U-shaped wires 23 to confine a seam-ridge in sewing position. The wires afford an opening through which the needle 24 sews the fabric.

As shown in Figs. 12-13, the needle 24 is rigidly connected to a needle-bar 24 which is slidably mounted within a supporting member 24 which is pivotally connected at 24 to a housing 21. The needle bar is driven by a pitman i l which is pivotally connected to the bar at 24 The supporting member 24 is oscillated about its pivot 24 by means of a pitman 24 pivotally connected at 24 to the supporting-member and pivotally connected to a rock-arm 24* and drivearm 24 at 24 The rock-arm 24 is 'pivotally connected to the housing 21 at 24 A cam-bar 24 is attached to the housing 21 and has an 55 S-shaped slot in which a stud 24" on the drive-arm 24 travels.

A walking foot 25, having a perforation 25* through which the needle reciprocates, is mounted on a push rod 25 which also is slidably mounted in the supporting member 25' so that the pushrod and needle-bar are always in parallel relationship. The push-rod has a pivotally mounted slide-block 25, driven by a slotted rock-member 25 which is pivotally connected at 25 to a pivot carrying member 25'. The rock-member 25 is driven by a rock-member 215 through a slot-andblock connection at 25 One end of the rockbar 25' is pivoted at 25 to the housing 21, and the other end makes a pivotal connection at 25* with a pitman 25.

In order that the walking-foot 25 may be moved from engagement with the fabric, the pivot-carrying member 25 is fixedly mounted on a tubular slide 25 which extends through an opening in the housing 21. The tubular slide is urged outwardly by means of a compression spring 25 whose tension is regulated by means of a plunger 25 which extends into the slide and has an adjustable threaded connection with the housing 21 at 21 The sewing mechanism is provided with a flywheel and sheave 28, which is mounted on a shaft 29. The lower end of the shaft 29 is provided with an eccentrically mounted disk 29 which rotates within a ring 29 to which the pitman 24 is connected at 29, the drive-arm 24 is connected at 24, and the pitman 25 is connected at 29 Thus it will be understood that rotation of the shaft 29 oscillates and reciprocates both needle and walking-foot so that a fabric may be sewed and fed along by the same.

The iiy-wheel 28 has a sheave portion which is driven by a belt 39 which passes over deflecting sheaves 3| and around a clutch wheel 32. The needle may be withdrawn from the fabric by manual turning of the fly-wheel.

Provision is made for retracting the spring-held walking-foot 25 by means of a rock-arm 33 acting on the pivot-carrying member 25 A spring 33 tends to release the walking-foot in fabric engaging position. A rock-shaft 34 is connected to the treadle 28 by means of a. wire 2|! and the shaft, in turn, actuates the rock arm 33 through a wire connection 20. By providing a proper amount of slack in the wire 20, the walkingfoot will be retracted before the ridge-bar is lowered.

In the rear of the machine, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the device D serves to load an extra bobbin with thread at about the same rate that thread is expended from the bobbin in the ma chine. A shaft 35 is adapted to receive the bobbin and is equipped with a sheave 36 adapted to engage the belt 38. The shaft is pivoted from the bed A at 31 by means of an L-shaped arm 38. A pair of toggle arms 39 and 48 are pivotally connected at 4| and are used to swing the sheave into belt-engaging position. The arm 40 is pivoted to the frame at 42 and is provided with a lug 43 which may serve as an operating handle as well as a toggle-stop. The toggle arm 39 is provided with an integrally formed pivot 44, which connects it to the arm 33. To this pivot is fastened rigidly a spring-guide 45 by means of a small bolt 46. The guide serves to hold the bobbin on the shaft and also serves to guide thread onto the bobbin smoothly and uniformly.

The clutch E is of known construction and is supported by a bracket 49 suspended from the bed A. The sheave 32 is journaled on a shaft 50 and is provided with a friction face 5!. A companion disc 52, having a fabric facing 52, is slidably keyed to the same shaft and actuated by a throw-out yoke 53. The yoke is .connected to a rock arm 54, which is pivoted at55 to the bracket, and is provided at one end with a brake 5B adapted to engage. the sheave when thediscs are thrown out of engagement; the other end of the arm is connected to an operating crank 51 by means of a link 58. This crank and an additional crank 59, are both fixedly mounted on a shaft 50 which is journaled in brackets mounted on the bed A. A treadle 6| is connected to the crank 59 by means of a wire GI and actuates the clutch mechanism. A tension spring 62 tends to disengage the clutch.

The motor F is mounted on the lower side of the bed and drives a sheave 63 on the clutch shaft 50 by means of a belt 84.

20 The thread supporting device G is mounted on top of the sewing machine and comprises a spindle 65 and a spool-supporting shelf 66 which carries a sewing-thread spool 81 and a bobbin-thread spool 68. A sewing thread 61 is led from the spool 61 over suitable guides 69 and tensioning devices 10 to the sewing needle; and a bobbinthread I58 is drawn from the spool 68 over guides 1| and a tensioning device 12 to the bobbinwinder, as will be readily understood from the drawings. 7

To operate the device, the operator turns the wheel 28, until the sewing needle is retracted, and depresses treadle 20, which retracts the walking-foot and lowers the bar B. A cushion is then laid over the bar B so that a ridge is formed in the fabric in the desired position, and the treadle is then released which permits the bar to press the ridge into the 'shoe 23. Upon depressing treadle 6| the clutch is permitted to engage and the machine starts to sew a horizontal ridge-seam, which will catch both a cover and lining fabric to form a pleat, as shown in Fig. 10. The operator pushes the work along under the shoe, aided by the feeding action of the walker-foot, until the desired length is sewed and the treadle 6| may be released. After retracting the needle, the treadle 20 is again depressed which permits the completed work to be removed from the machine. If during the sewing operation, the bobbin winder D is thrown to the position indicated in Fig. 9, a, loaded bobbin will be ready when the bobbin in the machine is empty.

The machine is very easy to operate and provides a rapid method of remedying any imperfect sewing in a cushion. The stitches are made uniformly, in straight lines, and any need for hand-sewing is obviated.

The operator stands in front of the machine (presented in Fig. 1) and the cushion, during the sewing operation, is fed in a direction parallel with the front of the machine. The control pedals are accessible at the front side of the machine, as appears in Fig. 2. The body of the sewing machine C extends forwardly from the supporting standard A as will be understood from Figs, 2 and 5. Thus, the body of the sewing machine frame is horizontally disposed, and the head 21 which contains the needle-operating mechanism and the walking-foot operating mechanism depends from. the front end of the main body of the sewing machine, and. the needle and walking-foot are presented rearwardly at about the level of the ridge-bar 13, while the housing 22 which contains the bobbin 2| is disposed back of the ridge-bar. As will be noted from Fig. 2, the ridged table ID has a rear edge portion of trough-like form, and the standard A rises from the rear portion of the trough. The arrangement described is well adapted to the purpose of sewing the ridge-like seams of a defective cushion, as will'be readily understood from Fig. 10. That is, where stitches have been missed in forming any particular seam of a cushion in the manufacture thereof in the regular cushion-making machine, the necessary repair of the cushion can be readily effected by means of the improved machine herein shown.

The foregoing detailed description is given for clearness of understanding only and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, but the appended claims should be construed as broadly as permissible, in view of the prior art.

What I regard as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a machine of the character set forth: a frame embodying an elongated ridge-like cushion-supporting table equipped at the apex of the ridge with a longitudinal ridge-bar providing a straight edge which extends parallel with and is accessible from the front side of said frame; a standard rising from the rear portion of said table; a sewing machine supported on said standard and having its body extending forwardly over said ridge-bar and having the 'front end of said body equipped with a depending head housing a sewing needle and actuating means therefor, said sewing needle having its piercing end presented rearwardly and perpendicular to said ridge-bar; and treadle means for raising and lowering the ridge-bar, said means being accessible to an operator located in front of said frame.

2. In a machine of the character set forth: a frame embodying a ridge-like cushion-supporting table extending parallel with the front side of the frame and a standard disposed at the rear of and rising above the elongated apex of said table; a 5 depressibly mounted elongated ridge-bar at the apex of said table providing a straight edge adapted to support an upwardly presented cushion-seam when the cushion is supported on said table; a sewing machine mounted on said standard and having a forwardly extending body projecting over and across said table, said body carrying a depending head; a sewing needle and a walking-foot carried by said head and presented towards one vertical side of said ridge-bar; actuating-mechanism within said head serving to actuate said sewing needle and walking-foot; driving mechanism serving to operate said actuating-mechanism; and a forwardly presented manually operable pedal serving to retract said walking-foot and depress said ridge-bar, at will.

3. In a machine of the character set forth: a frame embodying a cushion-supporting table equipped with a movable ridge-bar providing a straight edge extending parallel with the front side of the frame and substantially unobstructed at both ends; a sewing machine supported on said frame extending over and across said table, said sewing machine being equipped with a sewing needle and a walking-foot presented rearwardly towards said ridge-bar so as to cooperate with one vertical side thereof to feed cushions thereon; and manually controlled means for retracting said ridge-bar downwardly and said ALLISTER S. MITCHELL. 

